Assuaging GOP Anger With a Lawsuit

House Speaker John A. Bohener is always delicately balancing the demands of conservative Republicans, and for them, blocking President Barack Obama’s health care initiatives by any means necessary is usually high on the list. Impeaching the president has become a more popular option than ever for some of those lawmakers, who say Obama abused the use of executive orders and illegally adjusted implementation deadlines and requirements for the 2010 health care law.

But other Republicans eye the upcoming election and do not want to jeopardize the possible increase in GOP House and Senate seats.

CQ Roll Call’s Steven Dennis reports that Boehner has rejected an impeachment effort and endorses the alternative approach of having the House consider a resolution this week authorizing a lawsuit against Obama for exceeding his authority on administrative health law adjustments — particularly the delay of the law’s employer coverage mandate.

Roll Call’s David Hawkins points out that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., faced a similar impeachment drive against President George W. Bush for Iraq war misinformation prior to the 2004 election, but demurred to avoid angering swing voters and galvanizing Republicans close to an election.

The lawsuit proposed by Speaker Boehner, the Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Party members of the House of Representatives is simply a way to avoid proposing, negotiating, and passing any legislation in the remaining 11 days of this session of Congress, or the two years of the next session carrying them all the way through 2016. Whatever happened to the problems at the VA which they tell us will not allocate any new funding? What about their plans to fund highway construction by allowing employers to reduce payments to their defined benefit pension plans? What about immigration?

DENNIS DONOHO

Why waste time doing what you were sent to do work for the people.

rvauthor

Speaker Boehner is responsible for the coordination of all
legislative activity in the House of Representatives on behalf of all 435 members of the House and the nation. The country is currently facing what the Republicans told us earlier in the year were very serious problems including fixing the VA, addressing highway construction needs, and immigration for starters in numerous press conferences, photo ops, and Sunday talk shows.

With eleven days left in the legislative calendar and thirty-seven scheduled days total between now and the end of the year, the Speaker wants to talk about law suits instead of addressing the problems facing the nation. The Republican Party likes talking about problems with the VA and healthcare for veterans, immigration, and highway construction; but has no interest in actually addressing them. The House is a great job if you can get it (114 scheduled days in Washington DC, unlimited travel, and great benefits).

lihartke

Try the SENATE led by Democrats. There are UMPTEEN BILLS AT THE DOOR they REFUSE TO OPEN. You can give DEMOCRATS all the money in the world and there is not 1 thing they would run right. America is under ASSAULT right now. Democrats claim they need MORE MONEY FOR EVERYTHING yet they let 10’s of THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE/TERRORISTS walk right in our door and EVEN FACILITATE it by busing/FLYING them ALL AROUND OUR TOWNS which will cost TRILLIONS to AMERICA. America if you are DOWN RIGHT SICK AND TIRED OF THIS GO NOWHERE ECONOMY and the ENDLESS CORRUPTION AND getting NOTHING for your money then THROW EVERY LAST DEMOCRAT OUT AND NEVER EVER HIRE THEM AGAIN. YOUR KIDS and MINE are now at risk of SEVERE CRIME on them thanks to the GANGS DEMOCRATS ARE USHERING IN RIGHT NOW.
# SECURE THE DAMN BORDER NOW
#FIRE EVERY DEMOCRAT

rvauthor

Wow! The article was about Speaker Boehner and his pending possible plans to file suit against the President of the United States to defer action by the ACA originally requested by the House. Neither the article nor my comment ever mentioned the U.S. Senate, corruption, gangs or #signs.

My response simply stated I believe the purpose of the lawsuit was to avoid using the legislative and hearing powers of the House of Representatives to address the
problems facing the country, such as funding highway construction, overhauling the VA, and immigration, that represent problems facing the nation placed on hold in
the House of Representatives while the Speaker of the House and the Republican members of the House let the calendar run down (eight days in the legislative calendar for 2014, plus 35 days in the period from August 1st and
December 31st). It is insulting to the entire electorate for a Member of the House to stand on the steps of the Capitol and voice the need for action and to then avoid taking any action.

Mark

Because the Republicans will do everything right? Do you want a dictarship of party? Is that what you want? My guess is probably not and if that is the case grow up into an adult.

Mark

Politics requires compromise and Americans are not willing to compromise these days. 24 hour news has driven so much anger into the electorate based on half truths, gossip and conspiracy. While both sides have done this the award goes to the right. I have seen more bat sh!t crazy on the right then on the left.

lihartke

Oh, you mean like having Republicans sit in the back of the bus or stand outside the door of a room where Oabmacare was being designed by Democrats? P L E A S E spare me your “gov’t needs compromise to work.” You are a day late and a dollar short on that one. Anyone who would vote for any Democrat ever again after them voting for Obamacare after their constituents CLEARLY said they don’t want it should have their self smacked up side the head for they are fricken’ MORONS and deserve what they get. The rest of the country however does not deserve to have to live by their asinine choices. DEMOCRATS and anyone who would vote for them are Delusional. Democrats USE their constituents to get rich quick and laugh all the way to the bank while using them.

Plurb

Will a lawsuit make Boehner go away?! The House Majority Leader is supposed to “lead” right? Get some U.S. Marshals together, drag Eric Holder out of his cave and throw his ass in Jail! Then grab Ms. Lerner and do the same, then start impeachment of Obama, Pelosi and Reid! Now, not later NOW! Start to close the EPA, the IRS and the NSA and Homeland Defense, put the National Guard on the Southern Border with shoot to kill orders! Give this 30 days and then we’ll see not only how much safer we are, but hell, we might even start cutting the deficit! Flat tax on every one and every corporation not to exceed 13%.

Mark

Settle down cowboy.

Robert H. Anderson

Robert Anderson :Why is it the president’s approval rating is around 40 and the Congress is at about 13? We need term limits or just get smart and vote out your congressman whether you agree with him or not. Things need to change! Could a for profit activity get by with this type of approval?

MarkH_TX

Impeach Obama! If Obama does not deserve impeachment, then the presidency becomes an elect kingdom. Obama deserves impeachment and America needs the salvation afforded by his removal from office.

IMPEACH OBAMA!

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Healthopolis covers the health care community in Washington and beyond the Beltway.

Paul Jenks (@PHJenks) leads the coverage for Healthopolis. He also serves as a news and analytics editor for CQ Now, providing real-time coverage of congressional activity.

Adriel Bettelheim (@abettel), John Reichard (@CQHealthTweet), Rebecca Adams (@RebeccaAdamsDC) and Kerry Young (@KDooleyYoung) — who collectively edit and write for CQ HealthBeat, also write for Healthopolis.